Attachment for internal-combustion engines



July .15 v19.24.

J. LIPE'ERT ATTACHHENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 23 1922 Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED sTArE s JOHN P. LIPIER'LYOF EAST CLEVELAND, onio.

ATTACHMENT non INTERNAL-COMBUSTIONENGINES.

I Application filed January '23, 1922. Serial No. 531,131.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, JO N P. LIPPERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Cleveland, in the county of CuyahOga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Attachments for Internal-Combustion Engines, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrlption, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an attachment- .for internal combustion engines and has particular reference to an attachment for injecting water vapor into the engine cylinders.

Some of the objects ofthepresent invention are to provide an attachment of this character which shall be' autom'atic in operation, that is, the engine will operate in the usual manner until sulficientheat has been developed to insure proper results before the water vapor is automatically admitted to the engine cylinders; to provide an attachment of the aforesaid character which shall include means for automatically preventing any condensation remaining in the conduits associated with the attachment, from being drawn into the engine cylinders before the engine has developed sufficient heat to insure proper results; to provide an attachment of this character which may be easily and quickly attached by inexperienced persons, and which shall consist of few parts which'are simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture, while further objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown one form of my invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine fitted with: my device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the radiator of an automobile showing a portion of my device connected therein; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing my thermostatically controlled valve positioned within the radiator.

Describing by reference characters the various parts illustrated, 1 indicates an internal combustion engine having a carburetor 2 connected w1th the engine cylinders through the usual intake'manifold indicated at 3. A radiator 4 serving as a reservoir for the cooling medium 1s operatively con- 5 nected to the engine water jacket through inlet and outlet connections'5 and 6 respectively. f

In applying my invention to an internal combustion engine of this type, I provide a suitable conduit having one end thereof disposed. within the radiator above the water level therein and the other end operatively connected with the engine cylinders and in this conduit 1' interpose a thermostatically controlled valve which is dependent upon the temperature of the cooling medium for operation thereof.

An apparatus for accomplishing this result is shown'in detail in Figs. 2 and 8 wherein 8 indicates a suitable housing for a thermostatically controlled valve; This housing is disposed within an aperture 9 in the upper portion-ofthe radiator and said housing is provided .with a flange 10 which .is soldered or otherwise secured to the'radiator. 'T'heinner end of the housing 8 is fitted with a conduitl2 which projects inwardly and upwardly into the radiator filling spout 14 and this end of the conduit is preferably disposed slightly above the usual overflow pipe 15 so that the open or intakeend thereof will always be above the liquid level in the radiator." To prevent water entering the conduit during filling of the radiator, a baflie 16 is disposed over the open end of the conduit.

The thermostatically controlled valve comprises a base 18 which is threaded into the housing 8, and this base is provided with an aperture 19 extending therethrough. A U-shaped thermal element 20 has one end thereof fastened to the base as indicated at 21 and the other end fitted with a ball valve 22 which is adapted to contact with the inner end of aperture 19. The outer end of aperture 19 is enlarged as indicated at 24 to receive a. nipple connection 25, to which is connected one end of a conduit 26. The other end of this conduit is connected with the engine cylinders in any suitable manner, as for example, through the air inlet pipe 27 of the carburetor.

The thermal element 20 is preferably of such character that temperatures of the cooling medium in the radiator, below normal running temperature, will cause valve 22 to close aperture 19. When the engine is cold, the starting thereof will not be impaired by the attachment, as any condensation which might be present in conduit 26 will not be drawn into the engine cylinders until the cooling medium has reached normal running temperature. At this temperature, the thermal element will expand and lift valve 22 from aperture 19 thereby permitting the engine to draw water vapor from filling spout 14: through conduit 12, housing 8, aperture 19 and conduit 26 to the air inlet of the carburetor, Where it is admixed with the gasoline vapor and enters the engine cylinders through manifold 3 in the usual manner. As soon as the engine is stopped and the temperature ofthe cooling medium falls below normal running temperature,theither mostatic valve will close thereby preventing any condensation in the conduit 26 from being drawn into the engine cylinders when the engine is started again.

Having thus describediny invention, what I claim is: 1

1. The combination With an internal combustion engine, of a radiator operatively connected with the water jacket of said engine,

a thermostatically controlled valve positioned in said radiator adjacent the upper end thereof and below the normal liquid level, a housing enclosing said valve, a condnit connected to said housing and extending above the normal liquid level in said radiator, and a second conduit connected with said valve and with the air intake of the engine carburetor.

and interposed in said conduit, said valve being adapted to establish communication through said conduit when the liquid in said radiator reaches a predetermined tempera 'ture.

8. An attachment of the character set forth comprising a housing having a flange adjacent one end thereof, said housing being adapted to project "through an aperture in an engine radiator and said flange being adapted to be secured to said radiator, a conduit connected to said housing and adapted to extend above the normal liquid level in said radiator, a thermostatically controlled valve positioned in said housing, and a conduit connected to said valve. and adapted to be operatively connected with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN P. LIPPEBT. 

